verb / noun

keep

KEEP/kiːp/

To maintain something in one's possession or in its intended state.

He keeps his childhood toy boat even as an old man.

A text-free two-panel sequence shows the same person as a boy and as an older man holding the same distinctive toy boat, making continued possession across a lifetime visible.

Etymology

keepOld Englishto seize, hold; pay attention to

Old English cepan already meant “hold” as well as “pay attention to.” Later senses of preserving something without loss or change connect that older holding sense with continuing to possess it.

In context

Enhanced Public Domain106:11

fifth Maxim keep the faculty of effort Alive In You by a little gratuitous exercise every day

1900s Philosophy: Theron Q. Dumont - The Power of Concentration (Audiobook)

More examples

This lid keeps the soup warm.
She keeps a record of every payment.
I keep my promises, even when it is difficult.
He works on the farm to earn his keep.

Forms

keep · keeps · kept · keeping

keeper noun — A person who guards or tends something.

Similar words

retain: Emphasizes continued possession rather than care or upkeep.
maintain: Emphasizes effort to preserve a condition or level.
preserve: Emphasizes protecting something from damage, decay, or unwanted change.